x
“You do,” I assured him quite calmly. “That is why I am here.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7aATkBKWaL
“How are you acquainted with any of them?” He asked quite seriously, and only425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPCBXEcbObw
then did his eyes seem to notice my hair, which was blue all over except for its still425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtrStb7DYIx
black tips. “You’re quite the odd one.” He admitted, while he was far from what anyone425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡycNofyPuVq
would deem as ´normal´. “And I do not need my bigger glasses to see that.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdRT6LLaVh3
“Here. This is for you,” I tried to hand him my big notebook, the one that had been425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1EWC3QY4Ee
resting safely beside me. Almost falling out of it was a whole compendium of drawings425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl7KiER7mZS
and other poorly attached notes. “Father wanted you to have it.” I nudged it towards425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDb157FrxNH
him. “He also wanted me to go with you.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiVRgOfDaG8
“Father, you say?” He cautiously asked as he refused the offer, “I am afraid I will have425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4P1pM781wS
to doubt that. You see little one, I am not one with many friends, let alone associates.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQq3Awad0Vb
He then took a few steps back “No, you must be mistaken. But fret not, you may425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzizOzS6Dbx
accompany me back to my place, if you so wish of course. After all, it is not proper to425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyJFpc5HFmR
leave one so small and meek behind, especially in a place like this. Old Gorliochi over425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdYhCDd9QRh
there,” His eyes went straight towards that beast; this one was completely relaxed even425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsKQC7jnwCh
if its jaws kept finding one thing or another to chew on, “he can easily carry the both425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE1SeOEtR6e
of us for as long as necessary. He has been with me for many seasons now, lending a425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSYrQVwUb1G
hand in the carrying of all sorts of things.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP6Kv0OVo1A
He smiled, but it was a ruse that could not hope to work on the likes of one such as425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ZwfHAoMWP
me. “Like all sorts of flowers and fungi that I so often like to come and find in these425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa3xDbfTXdw
parts... Or even -”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3BAZPfpYZJ
“You are no mere flower picker or mushroom gatherer.” I said as I kept forcing that425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjc2dgObcVX
notebook onto him. “Go on, take it. You are the Thinker-Tinker, and you are meant425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMMbE237HHW
to read it.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWkr73X96YY
A short silence stood between the two of us ...425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy5kqFrm7J6
“Your father, who is he then?” He eventually asked, even if his interests appeared425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCrqkLgxczl
to be dwindling the more he was going through those notes and drawings, “I know425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtTyEYQW6Yg
many of the names inscribed here.” He kept confessing, as he tipped his glasses just425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgpdmlrBtdY
in time to prevent them from falling off his curved nose; and then he looked at me425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn5vP19xGVl
with refulgent eyes: “Some of these people, they are in these drawings of yours as well!425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfYQecWgxib
And this man here; a Kharn. He is my friend. A dear one.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyCK7jsbeSG
“That is Father,” I said to his amazement ...425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1x4erlssWq
A long pause took over his person.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoHDNo6bccz
Many of his past fears but also promises came to haunt him, and without a425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhcRVB9tggS
moment’s notice, his head became occupied with all sorts of questions and possibilities.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOhEvXHCrMS
There were so many ´If ’s´ and ´Buts´ and ´What’s´ swirling in his mind - and in425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgocVaR1vsP
the end all I heard him think to himself was: “This is likely to bring me quite the425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxWQ0OMHWIQ
unwanted trouble, but if there is any chance of truth to it, at all; of a real connection425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCB9KRB3qv1
between this little one and that ol’ fool... What choice do I have?”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgHgbNNso3l
“Who are you girl?” his eyes swelled up as he confronted me again, “and how did425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡspDitqQcwq
you get your hands on all this?”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqDEFOhlVGM
“As I said, all of it was wrought by my hand.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzVS0MagGol
“You wrote...” His eyes travelled between note and drawing alike “all this?425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf8wlFLtlk9
What made you do such a thing?” He asked with his eyes now trembling with425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSr3fvwPZeY
restlessness.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRoHgAIfkNL
“And then you will read it?”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu6qBVRlc2o
“Oh, I most definitely will. The spark of curiosity has already been lit inside me.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyw2f6nd0YB
He then reassured me further, “My interest has already peaked way past the point of425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD8lQNLaZVU
arousal, don’t you worry.” And after he weighed all of it with both hands; “But I will425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfVUKjVVuBY
have to do so back at my place. You understand that this is quite a lot to go through?”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAdikjUGGJ9
“Quite,” I replied after I added a few extra notes I had on my person.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdAyRNFL8rg
“Besides, I don’t have my reading glasses on me.” He added somewhat flippantly425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmFSbjAp4te
“I mean why would I bring them; you know? It’s not like I get to meet little girls425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZqwrPF0rXQ
carrying tomes for me regularly.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJJ1BVk3SY9
I nodded in concordance, and then he suggested we should make haste. Insisting, as425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOUmpvixNvo
we made our way to that beast, that I should tell him, or rather prepare him, for what425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVGp7gaWght
could be in store inside that notebook.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsmUUfmwZG0
